New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-19
WHO SHOT GEORGE CROOK !
HE SAYS THAT IT WAS A BURGLAR

THE POLICE THINK OTHERWISE AND POINT OUT
SOME DISCREPANCIES IN MS STORY
remarkable shooting case was reported at the
Bergen Street Police Station in, BROOKLYN vester.
day. The meagre information was given TO the
policeman on whose beat 1t occurred that George
Crook, of No. 149 South Oxford ST, was awakened
at a. m. by the noise of q burglar, who had
entered by opening the, window of the back
parlor where Mr.. Crook slept. The burglar was
rIiiing Mr. Crooks trouser pockets. When the
burglar saw that Mr. Crook was awake. he
nred shot which wounded Crook In the left
forearm. Crook then fred in return, and the
burglar escaped; but Mr.. Crook did not know
whether the shot took effect No description of
the intruder could be secured. Mr. Crook is
about twenty years old and a son of the late
Ruius Crook He lives with his mother, who IL in
comfortable circumstances, and he is a member
OF the 23d Regiment and well known among
young people in Brooklyn. lie is employed in
the Office OF the Niagara Insurance Company.
inquiry at the house yesterday dcvelopcd
the following facts: The house is a double
one standing on terrace rising from
the street, and Is surrounded by
lawn like Its neghbOrs 1t is in a fashionable
part Of the city, and near the home of the Rev.
Dr. Cuyler. As the house is detached it is casy
to reach the rear from the street Mr. Crool.
was found in bed in the room where he usually
sleeps, on the street floor, opening from the bacl.
parior. 1t Is on the south side of the house. and
mas TWO windows overlooking the rear lawn. and
one on the side Mr.. Crooks bed stands with
the head away from the rear windows and along
sac ground glass partition separating the room
from the parlor. He is boyish looking. with q
smooth face and dark hair Reclining ON the
eIoow OF his uninjured arm he told the following
story:
On Friday went to Philadelphia with my regiment
and we got back early saturday morning i was
noon In the afternoon went to see my tailor and
s, about half past last night went TO bed again.
blowing in from the window beside my bed caused me
to wake up. saw dark object at the foot of tho
bed but there was not light enough to see any,
thing more than the outlines / always sleep with a
revolver under my pillow, and reached for II and fired
two shots at the object, and as did sprang ont
Ing, and think failed TO hit the burglar although
am good shot. He fired In return at me- and
felt the bullet in my arm and then he rushed past
me and jumped out through the window which was
open, and made his escape
The burglar must have. been at work for time,
for he had S57 my pocket and had collected
all my 1owelry, my watch and chain, the gold and
bs on OF the the ssa sssrpS ao a a
one Of the drawers and had gathered them in heap
on the lounge In the corner of the room. The marks
OF the bullets fired are there In the rear window,
and the burglars bullet after 1t passed through my
forearm near the elbow crashed into the wooden blind
did not see the man well enough to describe him.
The story investigated by Detective Curran, Of
the Bergen Street police who went to the honse whe
Surgeon Richardson was dressing the wound When
he was talked with yesterday afternoon he In
clined to ridcue the idea that burglar had been In
the house at all and said that young Crook must have
shot himself He based this opinion upon the direc-
tion of the Shots the fact that Crooks pistol has three
empty chambers, and all the bullet holes of tho
same calibre and the powder marks on the sleeve Of
his night Shirt showing that the shot fired at short
range Both bullets which Crook claims he shot passed
through the windows OF the ROOM One must have
been fired from the bed Judging from
the holes in the shade and the glass;
but the other entered the woodwork at
such angle that 1t could have been fired from tho
bed and the marks of the powder around the hole'
whilo the shade looks as though the muzIe Of re-
volver had been thrust through IL and Is black with
powder marks. These must have been made at close
quarters and the middle of the bed is eight feet from
the window The sleeve of the garment Crook wore
was torn and blackened by powder, showing that is
must have been c!ose to the weapon when the cart
ridge exploded whereas Crook says that the burglar
I'm the opposite corner of the ro0m while he HIM
self the side window. After the bullet had
passed through his arm It entered the thick part OF
the outside Venetian blind the window and
dropped TO the ground. Crook could not explain
these discrepancies and said he did not understand
them. The police find another discrepancy in tho
statements Of Crook that he could not the intruder
distinctly and yet the latter could gather the jewery
In careful heap In one pace In the darkest part Of
the Crooks revolver Is 32-calibrc, and all tho
If recently discharged, but Crook says he fired
Of them monrh ago. Mrs. Crook,
her Is.o,sda daughter .,, 0nd young man named
aroused by the shots, but the dog which slept I'm tho
basement, did not bark until after the firing There
Is trace Of feet the ground outside of the win
dow, where the burglar Is said to bayc entered and
escaped. The window Is easily accessible from tho
octsde, however, and while the blinds fastened,
the upper part of the window let down a short
distan,e before Mr.. Crook retired. The neighbon
saw leave the house.
Police Cap ain Jewett, In whose precinct the affar
occurred, after the matter had been investigated,
said the impression he gained was that no burglary
had occurred.